


One Equal Temper

by chasing_the_sterek



Series: Inktober 2017 [8]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: BAMF John, Cigarettes, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I mean he's mentioned so, John is the Criminal Boogeyman, also there are two nameless thugs, are they nameless if i nicknamed them?, can that be a tag, can't miss that tag that's this entire fic summed up in two words, smoke, that comes later but y'know i might as well tag it right
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2019-01-15 07:05:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12316161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chasing_the_sterek/pseuds/chasing_the_sterek
Summary: "He ain't comin'.""Don' be stupid. Ent you heard 'bout him?""'eard about Sherlock Holmes.""The one we've got in that bloody old wine cellar?" There's a snort. "You're more of a moron than I thought if y'don't think half of London 'as heard of Sherlock Holmes."///There are dangerous things afoot tonight.





	One Equal Temper

**Author's Note:**

> This one's a two-parter, guys! The second bit will finish the _Ulysses_ line.
> 
> Today's prompt was "smoke/escape". Never ended up getting around to the escape bit in this one.

"Look, mate," one of the guards says. _"You_ can say 'sod the orders' all you want. But I'm gonna stay here and watch."

"Ah, he ain't comin'," another says dismissively.

"Don't be stupid," the first says. "Haven't you heard about him?"

John scans both of the speakers. The second speaker is more directly in his line of sight, and has apparently made the unfortunate decision to get a skull-and-crossbones tattooed onto his jaw, just in front of his ear. The first speaker's arm is in view, and his leather jacket's sleeve is gaping open to reveal a rather nasty twist of bleeding flesh.

John sincerely hopes Sherlock did that.

"'eard about Sherlock Holmes," Jaw-Tattoo says.

"The one we've got in that bloody old wine cellar?" There's a snort. "You're more of a moron than I thought if y'don't think half of London 'as heard of Sherlock Holmes. Was talking 'bout that John bloke."

"Who?"

"The one who killed that cabbie on 'is first day. The one who faces down terrorists an' murderers an' asylum patients without blinkin' an eye. The one who don't get paid, but does it anyway, and it don't ever occur to him to do anything but."

Jaw-Tattoo shudders visibly, but he scowls at Bloody Jacket. "Yer makin'im up. That's a boogeyman story, that is."

"Nah." Bloody Jacket blows out a plume of warm breath, smirks a little. "They say 'e's always in the shadows, watchin' you."

Oh. John feels a sense of surprised satisfaction at being the boogeyman of criminal grapevine gossip.

John doesn't see Jaw-Tattoo glance around, but he's an idiot if he doesn't. Particularly since _this_ particular shadow-dweller is actually here.

"M'going for a fag," Jaw-Tattoo announces - John wonders if he knows that the surge in bravery is more of a tell of nerves than outwardly expressing it would be - and then -

And then -

John can't believe it.

He _walks over._

This bumbling moron, of all the places, has chosen to stand _by John_ to pull out a cigarette.

He smiles in a predatory kind of way, slips down from his perch on the precarious arch of the half-crumbled old thing nearby. He waits until he's sure Bloody Jacket is looking away before stepping forwards, carefully just inside the pool of light from the streetlamp Jaw-Tattoo is under.

"They'll kill you, you know," he says conversationally.

Soft wisps of smoke whirl into nicotine-flavoured shock as Jaw-Tattoo wheels around and stares. His breath catches on a high whine.

"Guards," he whispers, almost desperately. "There were guards."

John smiles, slow and wolfish and a little manic, and says, "Not any more."

Jaw-Tattoo drops his cigarette.

He's on him before it hits the ground.

**Author's Note:**

> I'll admit, I'm quite fond of this one.
> 
> Don't worry, either, Sherlock'll be fine ~~he's probably just bored~~
> 
> Anyway, you'll find out after one click so there's no need to panic it's okay


End file.
